was much worse, and In her guilty soul the 
woman rejoiced. 
CHAPTER XII. 
The Return. 
On the sixth morning after his departure Roy- 
ston Yorke returned and presented himself before 
bis uncle. 
The good doctor had come with btm and was 
quite ready to repeat, word for word, the dying 
statement ol the lady. 
“But she gave it to her daughter,'’ he added, 
“In my presence, to take up to Mr. Union.” 
“ Very good. That, is so much gained,” said the 
Baronet; “ but how about the certificate?" 
“ l have a copy of It,” replied Iloyston; “but 
that, proves nothing." 
“Exactly so,” said the Baronet.. “I want.the. 
original copy that was handed to my wife, and 
which I put In my pocket, which she ought to 
have had.” 
“ That is most mysterious,” mused the Baronet, 
“and tt must, be somehow explained. My poor 
head Is not so clear as It was; but 1 remembered 
something very particular about that certificate.” 
“If you could only remember,” urged Royslon. 
“I will try,” said the Baronet, whom anxiety 
and other matters had rendered very weak. 
“ Can I do anything more ?” asked the doctor 
politely. 
“Oblige me by being ray guest for a day or 
two," said the Baronet, heartily. “ My nephew, 
my more than son, the discoverer of my daughter, 
will entertain you. I have need of you,” he 
added. 
“Then f will stop," replied the doclor. 
“Now, iloyston," continued his uncle, "oblige 
me by talcing the doctor down to lunch, and send¬ 
ing my man up to me.” 
The man came, and tv as surprised by his mas¬ 
ter's first order. 
“ Dress me,” he said. 
“ But, sir-he replied, really believing that 
the Baronet was golug mad. 
“ I am not nearly so 111 as I look,” he said, more 
peremptorily, and got out of bed without any 
assistance. 
The man saw at. once how great a change there 
had been for the better, 
He dressed his master carefully, and then 
shaved him, so that be looked lilmselt again, ooly 
thinner and paler. Then lie took some refresh¬ 
ment, which seemed considerably to revive him. 
This done, ho wrote two letters, which he. dis¬ 
patched by special messengers, and waited. 
His countenance was deeply agitated, but he 
otherwise kept down the outward manifestation 
of his anxious soul. 
The tlrst to arrive was Doctor Wilcox, and, as 
soon as he came, he sent to ask l*r. Williams to 
join them. He caine at once, and was duly Intro¬ 
duced to his professional brother. 
"Now, Wilcox,” said the Baronet, “have you 
brought the test for that poison with you ?" 
“I have brought several tests,” was the cau¬ 
tious reply, and he placed a small chest on the 
table. 
“ Now,” said the Baronet In continuation, point¬ 
ing to four wine-glasses In a row, “take one of 
them at random, examine It, and then test for 
poison.” 
Doctor Williams looked very grave, but at. once 
went, to work, and after sorao little time, turned 
to Wilcox with a look of wonder on his face. 
“ This Is a very rare and little known poison,” 
he said, “ and very difficult to detect or defeat.” 
The other doctor mentioned the name. 
“ That Is sufficient. Put. It. away, and now sum¬ 
mon my nephew," continued Sir Arthur. “ 1 
wish him to come up uow. 1 expect some one 
else shortly.” 
Royston was soon In the room, and then the 
conversation became more general until Mr. Lin¬ 
ton arrived. He was gladly welcomed by the 
Baronet and by Royston. 
“No news of Miss Marshall?” asked Royston, 
eagerly. 
“ Not any whatever. She has left London,” re¬ 
plied Linton, “or is In secure hiding. She Is tol¬ 
erably well provided with money, unfortunately. 
But. may I ask wby you are so Interested In her ?’ 
“ Heavens, Linton!” cried the Baronet; “but, 
there, you don’t, know it. Edith Marshall Is my 
daughter and heiress—and, farthermore, she is 
Edith Tresslder.” 
Linton fell hack as If struck. 
“Are you Arthur Mortimer,” he said sternly, 
“who eloped with my darling, my affianced wife, 
and then deserted her ?" 
*• I ran away with your affianced wife,” was the 
grave answer, “ but I never deserted her. We 
were duly mauled, as Royston Is able to prove; 
but the Identity Is the same. Have you the state¬ 
ment with you which Edith bold me In brief V” 
“I have,” was the cold reply or the man, who 
was for the first time face to faco with the robber 
of his peace and love. 
“Will you kindly read It?" said Sir Arthur, 
gently; “slowly—not omitting one word.” 
The other obeyed. 
Suddenly Sir Arthur leaped up. 
“ My dear sir—my dear sir!” cried the doctor. 
“Have you that desk?” said tho Baronet, In 
accents of agonized dread. 
“I have,” was the quiet reply. 
“ Then send lor It. By Heaven, It Is a miracle! 
Now I can make It all clear,” said ihe Baronet. 
“Do not hesitate. I am my daughter’s guardian 
uutil she is of age. Believe me, Llubon, all shall 
be cleared; “and, by Heaven,” he added, In a 
6tern voice, "Justice shall bo done! I will send 
a man, and do you write to Martha to bring It ” 
“ I will,” replied the virtuoso, overcome by the 
other’s dignity of manner. 
I 
The note was written, and despatched by a 
messenger lu a. Hansom cab. 
Meanwhile, Lady Tresslder and her daughter 
were below. As far as they could make It out, 
there was a consultation of physicians, which 
proved that he must be worse. 
CHAPTER XIII. 
Waiting for the Desk. 
“ I may as well,” said the Baronet, as soon as 
the statement of his wife was finished—a state¬ 
ment which, towards the end, made him weep 
bitterly,—" while we wait for the desk, give some 
explanation. 
“ Very dependent ou my father, I had to be 
careful In my actions. Without his assistance, 
I had very Utile more than tho portion of 
younger sons. 
“ He gave me permission to marry whom 1 
pleased so that she was rich; but. poverty was to 
be my portion If I married a poor woman. 
“Hence all tho precautions 1 took to conceal 
my marriage. 
" They were useless. In the bight, ct my hap¬ 
piness I was found out. But my father took care 
not, to let me know anything about t be matter. 
“ He summoned mo lo town on pretence or ask¬ 
ing my signature to some documents, and when 
t.hero he detained me some time. 
“ As soon as 1 could get away—I noticed a dis¬ 
agreeable smile on his face—I darted off In search 
ol my darling. I could find her no where; but 
they said she had eloped with a man whom, on 
their description, I knew. 1 went at once to 
town. 
“ I met my man—that Is, I went, to his lodgings. 
With a pistol In one hand, and a horsewhip In 
tho other, 1 asked bleu nows of my wife. 
“ He had none to gtve ma 
“• I am a desperate man, 1 sabl. ‘Life has no 
charm for me. Take me where she is, or I will 
shoot you like the dog you are 1” 
“ ‘ She Is dead !’ lie replied coolly. 
“ * But—how dead ?’ 1 frantlcelly cried. 
“ * Your worthy father found out your little 
affair. He paid me handsomely to go down and 
break It off. In want of cash, I went down, saw 
the lady, and told her you wore a scoundrel—had 
not married her at all. On which the foolish lady 
ran to the river, Jumped lu, and was carried away 
by the current.’ 
“ As a slmller story was told down thereby 
someone, doubtless paid by him, I believed ; and 
after giving him a good thrashing, I went to my 
father'd house. 
" Il n saw by my face I knew all. 
" ‘ So you did not find her !' he said, with a dia¬ 
bolical sneer 1 never have forgotten. 
“ * I have not, sir,” was my eold reply. * My 
wife died, murdered by you ! Well, It shall not 
serve you, as 1 shall never marry. Never, too, on 
this earth do we meet again. You have taken, lu 
cold blood, the life of my wife, and I can never 
forgive your * 
“ ne began humbly to beg my pardon a*, first; 
but when I flatly refused, be llo>\ into such an 
awful passion, that he dropped down, and be¬ 
fore medical attention could he called, he was 
dead. 
" I was sony, but my own sorrow bad made me 
callous; and as soon as the funeral was over, 
and I hud taken possession of my empty honors, 
1 left England, leaving my poor darling In the be¬ 
lief tbat 1 was fall bless and false. 
“I should not have believed the lies, but spent 
thousands to have found her. 
"1 traveled more like a madman than a sane 
persm, and in Rome met a widow—a vain, vulgar 
English woman, with money. 
“As a satire on my father, I married her, 
though, after some months, r heard things said 
of her that, made me inclined to shudder. 
11 But 1 did not believe the reports ; they were 
I ilseboods, calumnies—anything. 
“ Well, at last we came to England, with her 
child, which, having uone of my own, I allowed 
her to call ours.—To be continued. 
■ » — .— -- 
THE GOLD ROBBER. 
It was on a November evenlDg that weall sat 
round a cheerful tire after dinner. Uncle John, 
who had come home from Australia a week be¬ 
fore, was giving us various bits of Information 
about the climate, people, Ac., In that favored 
country. He paused for a while, so I asked him, 
“ Couldn't you tell us a story of your adventures, 
or something that happened to you, uncle ?” 
“Well," he answered, “I've had so many ad¬ 
ventures, small and great, that It’s hard to pick 
out. one; but. suppose I tell the first that, hap¬ 
pened to me,—Will that satisfy you?" 
14 We all declared we should be delighted to hear 
It; so, giving tho fire a poke, and all of us draw¬ 
ing near ihe blaze, he began the following: 
, "You know, when I first went to Australia, 
there was a great excitement about Hie gold that 
was belDg found In several places; and, like a 
great number of people, 1 was seized with gold 
mania, and went to the diggings. You all know, 
also, t hat I was very fortunate there,—but of t hat 
I ha ve nothing to say now, as l am going to tell 
you what befell me one night, about a fortnight 
after rny arrival at the diggings. 
" Your uncle Tom, who was with me, was up the 
Oonnlry for a couple of days with an old school¬ 
fellow, whom he had fouudlu that remote region; 
so 1 found myself on this particular night the 
solo occupant of our nut. 1 had retired to my 
hammock rather early that night; but 1 could 
notgo to sleep, bill kept tossing about lor a tong 
time. At last I opened my eyes wide, with the 
conviction that sleep was not within my grasp 
formulae night; and 1 .began looking round the 
but at such objects as the remains of tho fire 
made Clear enough to be seen. As 1 looked round, 
a dark object In onecornor arrested my attention; 
It was a corner not lighted by lire, so that I took 
some moments to make out what. It was; but at 
last 1 came to the pleasant conclusion that there 
was some one else In the hut besides myseir. 
"Now this was a particularly Inconvenient 
thing, to say the least of It; lor 1 knew nobody 
personally who Jived about us; but. I knew very 
well tbat, as a general rule, l in y were a course 
low lot of ruffians,a great many ol them eon'lets, 
and men who had to tly from their countries lor 
various reasons best known lo themselves, so you 
may perhaps form a slight Idea of my feelings. 
1 knew It was not my bi other, lor he would not 
be back for two days; besides, why should lie 
come In so silently, and stand there so mysteri¬ 
ously. But what puzzled me most was how any 
one could get there, for I had most carefully fus- 
lened the door before retiring lo rest., l thought, 
ray eyes might bo deceived, but on looking more 
Intently at the dark object, I distinctly saw the 
outline ot a pair of shoulders and one arm, but It 
was impossible to sen the bead or feet., as the 
shade was so heavy In the corner. 
“Now, lu this very corner wo had a chest, la 
which we brought various clothes and other 
necessaries, and lu which we meant to put any 
gold we might find—I say meant, because we bad 
not got any up to the present time—so I. of 
course, concluded that my visitor was examining 
this chest with a view of robbery, and 1 thought 
tho best thing J could do would be to remain 
quiet, for tho present; but 1 spoiled my plan by 
mining on my side so as lo watch the lobb r 
better, and In doing so 1 made what seemed tome 
a great deal of noise. 1 now thought there was 
no use in concealment, so drawing a revolver, 
which I always kept under my head at night, 1 
called out, “ Como forward at ouco and show 
yourself, or I'll blow your brains out.” 
“ I made as much noise as I could in cocking 
the revolver, so as lo give my threat more weight; 
but tho gontlcmau in the corner seemed to take 
notice, for he remained perfectly quiet. 1 was 
undecided what, to do HU the t bought, struck me 
that the robber might at that moment be medi¬ 
tating shooting me from where ho was, and ibis 
thought made my blood run eold, tor 1 thought of 
the friends and relations I had left at home, and 
of the state they would be in when they heard 1 
had been shot in Australia; so I again called our, 
‘ Whoever you are, I’ll give you but one chance; 
i’ll count, three, and it at the third word you don't, 
come forward, I'll lire.’ 
“I told you I could not see the man's head, so 
l aimed at where I thought It ought to be, and 
counted slowly, ‘ One, two, three!’ 
"At the word ‘three’ I fired four shols In 
quick succession, tor I thought that in the almost 
total darkness my aim might not be. very good; 
but they seemed to have taken cfleet, for when 
the smoke cleared away, 1 looked in vain for my 
midnight visitor. 1 could not summon courage 
to get up and look lor his burly ; not that l was 
exactly alraid, but 1 had a horrlbio teellugoT 
having shed a human being's blood, which 1 had 
never done before, and l firmly believe 1 would 
almost rather have been shot by the robber than 
have the fearful thought ou my mind that I had 
killed him. 
“Never did l spend such a dreadful night, i 
could not get rid of the one thought ol having 
deprived a fellow creature of file, especially 
while he was Jh the act of robbing, and perhaps 
Intending murder; hut more horrible than all 
was the Idea that I might, possibly have been the 
means of sending him to a fearful eternity. In 
vain I tried to persuade my sell that It wus to save 
my own life 1 had done it; tills seemed to me a 
poor excuse. However, I at last, fell Into a dis¬ 
turbed sleep, which lasted till morning; but the 
moment 1 awoke the dreadful night recurred to 
ray mind, although 1 felt rather morn calm. I 
thought I had had a horrible dream, but on ex¬ 
amining my revolver I found four chambers dis¬ 
charged. 1 rose and looked about the room, but 
In vain I sought the body of the Intruder. This, 
however, relieved me, greatly, as I thought he 
could not have been killed, but only wounded, 
and had escaped out or the liut while 1 was 
asleep; but on going to the door 1 was more per¬ 
plexed than ever, for the door had evidently not 
been opened, as It was securely fastened on the 
Inside. 
“ That day I could not bear to do anything but 
sit at my Ore and tblnk over my adventure, and 
try to solve the mystery, for mystery I concluded 
there certainly was; but I could come to no satis¬ 
factory conclusion with regard to it. 
“ The next day my brother came back, but I 
thought It better not to say utiy thing about my 
visitor to blm—at all events not until I found out 
who or what the Intruder was. 
“ That evcniDg 1 returned to the hut after my 
day’s work, I had found my first nugget, which, 
however, was a very small one, and was entering 
the door, when 1 saw my brother sitting on a 
stool, with a coat across his knees, which seemed 
to perplex him very much. When he saw mo he 
called me, and asked me If I could account for 
two holes which were In tho back of the coat ho 
was examining. Of course 1 knew nothing about 
them. He said be had left the coat hanging In 
the corner, and had just found It, down behind 
the chest, and with those two holes, which he 
thought very like pistol shots, through the back. 
“ The explanation flashed across in.y mind im¬ 
mediately : my mtdulgbt robber wus nothing else 
than rny brother's coat, hanging on the wall.' on 
examining it further 1 found the loop by which It 
hung was cut, evidently by one of the shots, and 
this accounted for its falling. 
"J need scarcely say what laughter It caused 
when I told my brother this; but, small adven¬ 
ture as It seems, I shall never forget my night 
with the gold robber.” f. v. o. 
■-♦-*--*- 
A FEMALE DETECTIVE. 
A stranoe, not to say sinister, character bas 
recently passed away from among the dark dens 
ot crime, which she haunted with unflinching 
persistence. This extraordinary woman was as 
peculiar in her appearance ns In the nature ot 
her avocations. Short, thick-set, wbh the arms 
of a prize-fighter, and features which might per¬ 
haps be compared with those ot' a bull dog, but 
certainly bore no resemblance to the ordinary 
countenance of “gentle women,” this creature 
could not full to Inspire a sense of repugnance In 
those even who were disposed to admire her cour¬ 
age and acknowledge the utility of the services 
she rendered. There, are but few persons, how¬ 
ever, who were ever acquainted with the secret 
of her lllo. in Blaekiriars there lives an artisan, 
much respected by his neighbors, whose voice Is 
not without Influence at election limes, but who 
is also notorious for his republican, not to say 
revolutionary, views. Some years ago his chil¬ 
dren and wife wero seized with soarlet fever. 
Helpless and alone, with all his family danger¬ 
ously 111 , the father rushed wildly ah mt, tor assist¬ 
ance, and when the woman, who m appearance 
has been but faintly described, came forward and 
offered her services as a slclc-nursp, ho at once 
accepted her help. Kho was known In the neigh¬ 
borhood as an experienced nurse, arid had often 
been recommended to poor patients by Ihe parish 
doctor. Tho nurse subsequently confessed her 
real character. In a word she was a police de¬ 
fective. Nursing was but a pretext. It was an 
excellent excuse for gaining admittance Into sus¬ 
pected households, and doubtless the police had 
their eye ou this republican. 
The female, deteellvo In question was not, as a 
rule, employed on political missions. Her chief 
duty was to discover criminals, and those of the 
lowest and most dangerous type. For this pur¬ 
pose her appearance was more an advantage 
than otherwise. No oath was too loud, blasphe¬ 
mous, or coarse for her to utter; there was no 
vulgar turn of speech tint she Ignored, and she 
was ever ready to greet the most revolting Jokes 
with the heartiest laughter. Her manners were 
also apparently so loose and low that, little re¬ 
straint was observed in her presence, and her re¬ 
ports forwarded to Scotland Yard were thus ren¬ 
dered all t he more valuable. As a monthly nurse 
she welcomed Into the world the children of no¬ 
torious ei lintu.Us who were ultimately destined 
to become her prey, while as a slek-uurse she ex¬ 
tracted from her h i! C-U ncousctous and debilitated 
fevor patients the confession of some dark deed, 
and hints as to the whereabouts or confederates 
lu crime. Such was the general plan ot action 
observed by this exit- mr llnary woman; but this 
WftS rather a slow process, and at times It was 
nccassury Lo fall at once on the wrongdoer. 
Ou mo occasion, mr instance, the police re¬ 
ceived Information that tuore was a gang of false 
money makers In a certain street; but notwith¬ 
standing every effort they were uuable to ascer¬ 
tain In which house the coiners worked. The 
services of the female detective were thereupon 
requisitioned, and she was despatched to the 
si reet bi question to see what could be done. Af¬ 
ter wa.lklugupa.ud down a 111 tie while she noticed 
a child come out of one of the houses, whose face 
Indicated a kind disposition. Seizing hastily tills 
•opportunity the detective feigned Illness, and 
begged to betaken Indoors for a moment. For¬ 
getful ot her parent's warning, the child In her 
excitement, seeing nothing but a woman appar¬ 
ently lu groat agony, at once and without giving 
alarm, admitted the detective into the house. 
The sudden entrance thus obtained enabled tho 
detective to hear the metallic sounds proceeding 
from Uie coiners' workshop,before the latter were 
aware that any slranger was In the house. They 
were not long In discovering their danger. 
Before the detective had time to leave the 
premises the chief or the gang rushed up from 
the cellar, where he wasaf work, and, lu hlslury, 
h'Tled a ladle lull of melted lead at, her head. 
Fortunately the poke bonnet that.she wore saved 
her life; the burns she received wore not fatal, 
though they destroyed her hair and Its roots. 
The police arrived In time, on hearing the alarm, 
to arrest eighteen corners. The chief, who was 
first aware ot the surprise, was able to escape, 
but he was subsequently captured lu France, and 
there sentenced to eighteen years’ servitude In 
the galleys. It. might, have been Imagined that 
If anything could make a woman abandon her 
particular calling it would be the 1031 of her hair ; 
but with the detective It, only Increased her lovo 
or what she called sport. She considered that It 
would now be tuore easy for her lo dress as a boy, 
and In this, her favorite guise, she penetrated 
many a thieves’ den. On one occasion, however, 
she was discovered. A brawny thief asked her 
to speak—that Is to say, to give the pass-words 
and to use certain slang expressions known only 
to the particular gang whom she was spying. 
This she was uuable to do. The thief then In¬ 
quired whether any one had seen her enter the 
house, and, od her answering In the negative, 
coolly Informed her that she would never be seen 
toga out again. This was the signal for execu¬ 
tion, and arter brandishing an Iron bar, lie struck 
a terrible blow at tho detective’s head. She hud 
just time, however, to dash her hand through a 
window-pane and spring a rattle, and the police 
stationed outside rushed to the rescue. They 
found the detective lying insensible ou the Uoor, 
with her skull fractured, and It Bus been her 
boast that this advoulure cost her fourteen small 
pieces of bone extracted from tho wound. BtlU 
